If $k$ and $\ell$ are positive 4-digit integers such that $\gcd(k,\ell)=3$, what is the smallest possible value for $\mathop{\text{lcm}}[k,\ell]$?
The identity $\gcd(k,\ell)\cdot\mathop{\text{lcm}}[k,\ell] = k\ell$ holds for all positive integers $k$ and $\ell$. Thus, we have $$\mathop{\text{lcm}}[k,\ell] = \frac{k\ell}{3}.$$Also, $k$ and $\ell$ must be 4-digit multiples of $3$, so our choices for each are $$1002,1005,1008,1011,1014,\ldots,$$and by minimizing the product $k\ell$, we minimize the least common multiple of $k$ and $\ell$. However, $k$ and $\ell$ cannot both be $1002$, since their greatest common divisor would then be $1002$ (not $3$). Setting $k=1002$ and $\ell=1005$, we obtain $\gcd(k,\ell)=3$ as desired, and we obtain the smallest possible value for the least common multiple: \begin{align*}
\mathop{\text{lcm}}[1002,1005] &= \frac{1002\cdot 1005}{3} \\
&= 1002\cdot 335 \\
&= (1000\cdot 335)+(2\cdot 335)\\
&= \boxed{335{,}670}.
\end{align*}